Ivory Towers, Dark Pasts: U.S. Universities Reckon With Their Slavery Ties

By Dr. Michael Omoruyi | iNewsAfrica Contributor

In the shadowed halls of America’s most prestigious universities lies a history many would prefer forgotten—a history built on the backs of enslaved Africans. Institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, and the University of Virginia are not merely centers of knowledge; they are monuments to an uncomfortable truth: the wealth and foundations of these ivory towers were entangled with slavery.

A Legacy of Enslavement and Enrichment

From the 18th century through the Civil War, enslaved people were used to build campuses, serve faculty, and generate profits that funded endowments and academic programs. Georgetown University, for example, sold over 270 enslaved individuals in 1838 to save itself from financial ruin. Harvard and Brown universities received donations from slave-trading families. The University of Virginia was built with slave labor.

These were not isolated cases. Slavery and the slave economy were interwoven with American higher education. According to a 2019 report by the Universities Studying Slavery Consortium, over 80 institutions have identified direct or indirect ties to slavery.

The Modern Reckoning

In recent years, a growing chorus of students, scholars, and activists has called for accountability. Many universities have launched historical inquiries, published detailed reports, and erected monuments acknowledging their role in slavery. Some, like Princeton and Brown, have renamed buildings or offered formal apologies.

But others have gone further. Georgetown University now grants legacy status in admissions to descendants of those it sold. The Virginia Theological Seminary set aside $1.7 million for reparative scholarships and programs. The Jesuits pledged $100 million for racial healing tied to their slaveholding history.

The Reparations Debate

Yet, symbolic gestures are not enough. While public apologies and plaques are steps forward, the demand for financial reparations continues. Critics argue that genuine reparative justice requires funding for Black students, investments in underserved communities, and partnerships with HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

Reparations remain controversial, not only in politics but in academia, where institutions often weigh donor relationships against moral imperatives. Yet, the question lingers: How can an institution claim moral leadership while profiting from historical injustice?

Why It Matters for Africa and the Diaspora

As Africans and Afro-descendants seek greater global equity, the historical complicity of elite U.S. universities with slavery must not be overlooked. These institutions helped shape the intellectual framework that justified slavery and racial hierarchies. Their endowments, prestige, and global influence were built partly on the dehumanization of African people.

Recognition is not merely about the past. It is about forging a more just and truthful academic future—one where descendants of the enslaved can access the institutions their ancestors helped build, not as charity but as reparative justice.

A Call for Global Academic Justice

This is a historic moment to demand transparency, justice, and partnership. African scholars should be part of advisory boards on slavery-linked investigations. Universities must fund African-led research. Joint programs with African universities should receive reparative funding. And the descendants of the enslaved—whether in Mississippi or Accra—must have access to the institutions their ancestors unknowingly built.

If America’s elite universities are to remain leaders in global education, they must do more than confess—they must compensate. History has already judged their past. The future will judge their response.

Dr. Michael Omoruyi is an IT expert and educator with a passion for equity, justice, and the ethical applications of knowledge. He writes for iNewsAfrica on politics, history, and diaspora affairs.